General POV (based somewhere between Ghost Hunt and Akumu No Sumu Ie):
Naru and Mai sat quite uncomfortably, locked in the tiny filing room of the office.
"So how did you get stuck in here?" Mai asked, out of the blue.
Naru merely raised his eyes from the floor, showing no sign of shock.
"Lin told me he had left some files for me on top of the filing cabinet, and said he was going on a date so I best fetch the files myself." Naru stated. "Then, as soon as I enter the room, the door is shut and locked, meaning I could not escape… Maybe your reason could hold more interest – you were literally thrown in by Yasuhara, after all."
"HEY!" Mai replied, blushing. "Getting thrown on top of you is completely mortifying, OK?!"
Naru simply sent her a look, and she sighed.
"Alright… I was leaving school with the others, when Monk told me that you wanted me to be at work on time for once. I arrive, and Yasu was waiting. He quickly picks me up, and Lin's waiting, arms folded, by the door… Lin opens it, I just manage to catch sight of you, and Yasu dumps me in the room before they close and lock the door!"
Naru sighed, and Mai blushes.
Something slides under the door, and Mai blushes upon seeing them as Naru picks up the note.
He opens it.
"Naru and Mai,
"Sorry for locking you in the filing room. We took out all the files so you can't read to pass the time, and we won't let you out of the room until you admit what all of us can see, and you two have to get the heck over – hint, warm, red, and the other thing links in with it.
"Yours, Yasu.
"PS: We all got sick of you two arguing all the time, so please don't have a go at Monk and Lin after, as Lin is going on a date in the meantime, and you can make as much noise as you want, since we put in soundproofing for you." Naru red, and his eyes turn steeled as he reads.
"What do they mean?" Mai asked, bright red.
A card slid under the door, and Mai picked it up.
"Another clue, think of the forest, and Naru, read the full thing, not just selected parts. - Madoka." she read, before dropping it as though it were fire and shrinking away as she tried to hide her bright-red face.
"Mai, how does she know about that?" Naru asked.
"I sort of… Told her… When she prompted me about a look you sent me as you stepped on the plane…" Mai admitted carefully.
Another card came through.
"Also what happened after at the Davis' house" Mai read.
"… No." is all Naru said.
"Naru! I told you, so you tell me!" Mai ordered.
"They were merely… Dreams…" Naru replied. Another card came through, and Naru quickly snatched it up, before ripping it quickly and pocket ting the remains in either pocket.
"What did it say?" Mai asked.
"What did what say?" Naru replied.
"Come on Naru! Show me!" Mai stated, reaching towards Naru's pocket.
"No."
"Naru!"
"No!"
A sheet of paper came through, and Mai quickly sat by the door, reading it and turning bright red.
"So that's what it said…" she squeaked.
Naru sighed, and took the page away.
Then another card slid underneath, and Mai hazardously took it.
This time she moved to rip it, but Naru quickly snatched it away.
The air got colder by a few degrees.
"Naru or Gene, with my name hearted… It's also in your handwriting." he mused. "Gene is the more likeable character, not me. You said "He was the one who cheered you up" and "He always saved me", I never cheered you up, even if I did save you. You also said "I didn't know" - how could you know when someone else is dead?"
"But…" Mai replied, and she started twiddling her thumbs as she looked at her lap. "You did cheer me up… You made tea, and you showed me that trick, you wound me up so I was angry instead of upset, then I'd find myself smiling afterwards… I didn't think about possible things that could have happened during your school years, and I didn't know… I thought… You…" she looked redder than a fire-truck by this point. "I was projecting you onto Gene, not the other way round…"
She looked up, by now, Naru's face was completely unreadable, and a new, unidentifiable feeling was in his eyes, causing her to look down again. "But that's probably useless now – I tried once, and I don't want to hassle you like Masako did…"
"Mai-" Naru started.
"I know it's silly-" Mai interrupted.
"Mai..." Naru attempted again.
"But I don't want to get hurt again-"
"MAI!" Naru exclaimed, and her head snapped up. "I've listened to you, so you listen to me… When I was back in England, it wasn't Masako, or any of the other girls we have met that managed to make my parents worry about my behaviour, but you. I would always almost call for you to make me tea, to leave my office in England, expecting you outside the door. It was your number I almost would call should I have a new case, and you were the one… You were the one who I always had haunting me…"
Another card, smaller than the rest, slipped under the door, and upon seeing it, Naru picked it up.
Naru immediately had an ever-so-slight blush on his cheeks, and Mai noticed.
"Let me see!" she lunged for the card, and Naru quickly held it out of reach, Mai stretched out more, and Naru fell as Mai grabbed it.
"YES!" she cheered, before reddening when she realised what position the pair of them were in. he then saw the prominent words on the small card, and gave a small shriek. Naru quickly rolled so he was over Mai, taking the card back and pocketing it.
They sat up, and a card slid under the door before footsteps walked away.
""Kiss, or I'll tell Luella that you two are a pair"… What does she mean?" Mai asked.
"Luella's the woman you met back when we found Gene. Back then, she was slightly docile, but should I managed to get a date now… Seriously, when Gene announced he had a girlfriend that both my parents liked after his sixteenth, Luella was plotting the wedding in a week." Naru stated. Mai blushed bright red.
"It'll be my first…" Mai murmured.
"We can both learn." Naru replied.
Both managed to get embarrassed at this.
Naru sighed, and shook his head.
"Madoka will definitely read whether we have or not." he stated, and Mai's face returned to the deep-red, causing a smirk to fall on Mai's lips.
He leaned forward, and quickly pecked her on the lips, before sitting in front of her, both slightly confused.
"Just be glad we've been locked in here alone." Naru stated after a pause, and Mai nodded as her blush receded. She hesitantly leaned forward.
"Mai?" Naru asked in a very low whisper, just before she kissed him, and all their thoughts seemed to go out the window…
Cue the door opening.
"YEY!" a loud, male voice with a very annoying grin and glasses cheered.
Mai quickly sat beside Naru, her eyes widening and face turning bright red.
"YASUHARA!" Naru yelled.
"Yes Big Boss?" Yasu yelled back from somewhere in the vicinity of the reception at the opposite end of the corridor.
Naru and Mai both lunged as the air shot down to about minus 20.
"YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Mai roared.
Three hours later.
Naru sat calmly reading his book in a back-to-normal-temperature room.
"How long do you think it will be until we can let Yasu and Madoka out of the Filing room?" Mai asked, entering the office with the tray of fresh tea for him.
"Mai, come here." he smirked, and Mai moved to stand in front of his desk.
"How does dinner sound? After the day's over." he asked.
"Sure, but where? Not many places are open at nine." Mai replied.
"I'll cook." Naru replied. "Masako dragged me to many places, so I tend to avoid them when possible."
"OK… Thank you." Mai smiled, before returning to her desk, passing Lin as he entered his office.
"Finally." he grunted, sitting in his seat. "Peace and quiet."
Joker: YEY! FLUFFLES WEEK!
Naru: It's called "fluff", and why you idios are so interested is too far beyond my comprehension.
Mai: But if it wasn't Madoka dating Lin, who was it?
Joker: Shhh, that's for another time, ne?
Mai: Fine...
